Magnificent Seven: Birmingham's top rising seniors named to North-South basketball game in July

Wenonah junior point guard leads a contigent of seven Birmingham area players that were named to the Alabama High School Athletic Directors and Coaches Association's annual North-South basketball game at All-Star Sports Week in Montgomery this summer. (Mark Almond/malmond@al.com)

Shades Valley standout Morgan William was one of two girls from Birmingham metro schools named to the North-South event during All-Star Sports Week in July. (Mark Almond/malmond@al.com)

MONTGOMERY, Alabama – When Alabama All-Star Sports Week takes place on July 15-20, please go ahead and circle the annual North vs. South basketball game on the calendar.

The inner basketball fan that resides in all of us will surely appreciate the effort. The 17thannual Alabama all-star week event definition has an attraction for the center ring.

That’s a potential starting five of Wenonah’s Justin Coleman, Hokes Bluff’s Isaac Haas, Albertville’s Riley Norris and Hazel Green’s Lewis Sullivan taking on a South squad with the likes of Carver-Montgomery’s Demetrius Houston, McGill-Toolen’s T.J. Lang, William Lee of Dallas County and Wesley Person Jr. of Brantley.

Haas, for starters, stands 7 feet, 2 inches in height. He’s the tallest player named to the game in the 16-year history of the event.

That’s some must-see basketball right there as some of the state’s top boys basketball prospects in years face off.

That’s a lot of wow factor for the South girls to deal with. The event features some prolific talent every year, but these teams are especially strong compared to most years.

Birmingham is represented by a total of seven players across both squads. There were two girls and five boys named to the teams. Center Point coach Rodney Chatman, who led his Eagles to the Class 5A state title game in March, will coach the North boys.

The Birmingham contingent along with Coleman will include speedy Hoover guard Quamauri Hardy and Center Point’s Montego Hoskins. Shades Valley is represented by Cortlin Davis and Mitchell Baldwin was chosen from Vestavia Hills.

As far as the bragging rights go, the North leads the all-time series between the boys with a healthy 44-25 margin. The North has also dominated the girls all-star event by winning 14 out of the 16 games in that series.

The Alabama High School Athletic Directors and Coaches Association sponsors All-Star Sports Week. The event also will feature North-South All-Star events in baseball, football, soccer and softball, among other events.

The full rosters for both games appear below:

2013 GIRLS BASKETBALL ROSTERS

NORTH

Player

School

Pos.

Ht.

Morgan William

Shades Valley

G

5'7

Leah Strain

Woodland

PG

5'4

Quanetria Bolton

Anniston

PF/C

6'2

Dajia Williams

Gadsden City

C

6'3

Jasmine Richardson

Winterboro

G/F

5'8

Kasey Sparks

Red Bay

PF/C

5'10

Sierra Jones

Madison Academy

PG

5'10

Destiney Elliott

Oneonta

F

5'11

Chandler Elder

Bob Jones

G/F

5'8

Maiya Rumph

Sparkman

G/F

5'9

Alexis Jennings

Sparkman

PF/C

6'1

Riley Northway

Brewer

PF/C

6'1

Chatara Cox

Lauderdale County

F

5'9

Jameka Holmes

Wenonah

G

5'9

Shakayla Thomas

Sylacauga

G

6'0

COACHES

Amber Deline

Oneonta

Jason Shields

Hokes Bluff

Brant Llewellyn

Lauderdale Co. (Adm.)

SOUTH

Player

School

Pos.

Ht.

Whytney Singleton

Blount

F

5'8

Tyler Phelion

Murphy

F

6'1

Raven Davis

Brantley

G

5'7

Peyton Hill

Brantley

G

5'8

Jewel Hill

Saint Luke's

G

5'9

Brenna Porter

Selma

P

5'11

Olivia Royal

Elmore County

G

5'6

Jimecheia Banks

Central – Phenix

G

5'6

Kamerian Williams

Opelika

P

5'11

Kendall Adams

Opelika

F

5'10

Laporsche Grissett

Blount

G

5'7

Amber Jackson

Davidson

F

5'8

Kendra Fowler

Carver- MGY

G

5'7

Keyuana Thompson

Carver–MGY

G

5'6

Laiken Free

Opp

G

5'9

COACHES

Andrew Kilcrease

Brantley

Michelle Simmons

Carver - Montgomery

Nigel Card (adm.)

Saint James

2013 BOYS BASKETBALL ROSTERS

NORTH

Player

School

Pos.

Ht.

Wt.

LaBarrius Hill

Parrish

G

6'8

205

Justin Coleman

Wenonah

PG

5'10

150

Cortlin Davis

Shades Valley

G

6'3

170

Mitchell Baldwin

Vestavia Hills

C

6'3

192

Quamauri Hardy

Hoover

G

6'0

160

Dylan Mackey

Sand Rock

G

6'3

180

Chris English

Weaver

G

5'10

165

Isaac Haas

Hokes Bluff

C

7'2

270

Lionel Love

J. O. Johnson

G

6'3

180

Nathanial Potts

Athens

G

6'1

210

Jordan Gandy

East Limestone

G

6'4

185

Riley Norris

Albertville

F

6'7

185

Lewis Sullivan

Hazel Green

G

6'7

220

Montego Hoskins

Center Proint

SF

6'2

180

Jordan Harris

James Clemens

G

6'4

170

COACHES

Rodney Chatman

Center Point

Heath Burns

Parrish

Brant Llewellyn

Lauderdale Co. (Admin)

SOUTH

Player

School

Pos.

Ht.

Wt.

Matthew Scelsi

Cottage Hill Chr.

PF

6'6

190

Greg White

Saint Paul's

SG

5'10

185

T.J. Lang

McGill-Toolen

SF

6'6

190

Wesley Person, Jr.

Brantley

SG

6'2

180

DeAnthony Rutledge

Luverne

PF

6'5

220

Jaylin Robinson

Eufaula

PG

6'1

170

William Lee

Dallas County

C

6'8

205

Steven Rogers

Brewbaker Tech

SG

6'0

155

Keshawn Ford

Selma

PG

5'9

150

Michael Hardin

Smiths Station

SF

6'4

195

Devin Pugh

Central -Phenix City

SG

6'1

175

Divine Myles

Blount

PG

6'0

185

Andrew Rogers

Saint Jude

PF

6'4

195

Demetrius Houston

Carver-MGY

SF

6'6

200

Brandon Murphy

Carver–MGY

C/F

6'6

260

COACHES

Jeffery Pope

Blount

Mark Dukes

Wilcox - Central

Nigel Card (adm.)

Saint James

Jeff Sentell covers Birmingham high school sports for The Alabama Media Group and The Birmingham News. Write to him at jsentell@al.com.